‘Are you going to ask your date any questions?’ Annie put in, that eyebrow quirking again.
‘I was just about to! Same question to you. What are you looking for in a date?’
Annie assumed a brash coolness. ‘Obviously,’ she held down one finger, counting. ‘Hotness.’
‘Of course.’
On her second finger she counted, more seriously, ‘Kindness.’ Then, ‘Nerdiness.’
‘I’m currently three for three,’ Harri joked.
‘Four, good teeth.’
‘ThisisEngland, you know?’
Their laughter took their little game to a new place, and when Annie pulled her hands to her lap under the table and leaned a little closer, Harri felt she was looking right into him.
‘Five, nice brown eyes.’
No one was laughing now. Silence held them fixed across the table, smiles growing wistful.
‘Did I say you look really pretty tonight?’ Harri’s voice came out gruffer than usual. He wasn’t aware.
‘You already said that.’ He could swear Annie (or was she lost in the role of Anjali?) was looking a little peaky.
The fear of making her uncomfortable sent a little current of common sense to Harri’s brain, and he became aware of the bookshop around them once more. He broke eye contact and leaned back in the chair.
‘Was that okay? Will I do?’
Annie scrunched her eyelids closed then opened them again. He caught the deep whisky-coloured flashes of amber in her irises before she drew back her chair and stood. The dream of the fake date disappeared entirely.
‘Hoo-ee!Anjali better watch out!’ she hooted. ‘There’s a new wolf in town. And he’s come down from them mountains hungry.’ She was mugging again, brash Southern accent and all. There was nothing to do but join in and hope the strange sensations of having got lost in their game were one-sided.
‘A wild Welsh wolf,’ he joked, returning the chairs to their spots, still dazed from whatever it was that just happened.
He couldn’t help thinking of meeting the teenage Annie for the first time. She’d arrived at their flat with little more than a stuffed backpack and an incandescent light shining through her skin. She’d made all the flatmates a grilled cheese and talked them into going out that night to the freshers’ meet and greet drinks.
He’d arrived in Aber shy and sheltered, having avoided social stuff and sports all through school, preferring to read at home, much to his dad’s bewilderment.
Annie had been delighted to meet him. She thought he was interesting, right from the off. Miraculously, he found he could make her laugh. When she spoke to him, she seemed to see right inside him, even when he’d been a stuttering, shy kid with nothing very interesting to say. She’d stuck by him while he came out of his shell, had encouraged it, in fact. He’d never made a friend as easily before or since. In fact, he hadn’t made any proper friends since. Now he was taking dating advice from her. He’d brought about the end of his long-term relationship just to be here with her for two weeks. If this wasn’t serious, unshakeable friendship, he didn’t know what was.
The door opening ended deeper introspection on Harri’s part, and Annie was putting her coat away, seemingly happily oblivious to Harri’s ruminations, thank goodness.
A bony, beige dog had trotted through the open door and was shaking himself so vigorously on the mat he overbalanced and had to sit down on his skinny question-mark tail.
Jowan followed behind his beloved mutt, giving him a gentle shove further inside so he could shut the door. ‘Go on, sit by the fire, Aldous,’ he told the creature.
He eyed first Harri, then Annie. ‘Not interruptin’ anything?’ he asked warily.
Annie clearly didn’t hear him. ‘Aww, is this the famous Aldous?’ she asked, following the mutt to the fire.
Aldous circled once on the hearthrug before plopping himself down and generously offering Annie the chance of scratching his bald pink tummy.
‘Scourge of the county vets?’ Harri added, grateful for the reprieve. ‘He got his haircut then?’
‘Certainly did,’ Jowan said fondly. ‘And there was no biting whatsoever. Anjali found he has not a tooth left in his head, poor old boy.’
Harri looked at the little curly-coated terrier, wondering how old it could possibly be.
